30.10.24, 18:00, Alaa Mahdi Kudaih, Gaza: The Shape of Art Under Siege

Fotograaf, psycholoog en schrijver Alaa Mahdi Kudaih presenteert een reeks posters met foto's uit de Gazastrook in het paviljoen. Alaa geeft daarnaast een presentatie met beeldmateriaal uit de regio, leest verhalen voor over vrienden die martelaars werden en brengt gedichten. 

What does it mean to be a photographer under siege? To capture the beauty of nature and people—art, love, life, and vibrant colors—only to now face the reality that all that remains is grey? How does it feel to witness Gaza’s past life, with its stunning sunsets and lively streets, then see a photo you took of the same place, now reduced to rubble, labeled with the name of an unknown martyr? How easy is it to be an artist under siege? How important is art in Gaza, and how difficult is it to create? How do you resist through art? In Gaza, art becomes a way to feel free, even when surrounded by tanks, showered by bullets, and facing death every day. Presentation, experiences, stories, and examples of how art survives as a form of resistance amid genocide, destruction, and despair.

• Alaa Mahdi Kudaih